Tank cover



May 15, 1928.

1,669,877 .1. T. MAGUIRE TANK COVER Filed Jan. 29, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 attorney May 15, 1928. 1,669,877

J. T. MAGUIRE TANK COVER Filed Jan. 29, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 gnue nkov Marya/v jfMjhire attorney Patented May 15, 1928.

UNITED STATES 1,669,877 PATENT ;OFFIC,E.

JOSEPH T. MAGUIBE, OF CHEVY CHASE, MARYLAND.

TANK COVER.

Application flled January 29, 1925. Serial No. 5,652.

This invention relates to improvements in tank construction and more particularly'to a'leak-proof cover for large oil tanks.

One of the objects of the'present inventlon is to provide a practical. floating cover for oil tanks adapted to prevent the escape or leakage of volatile constituents.

' A further object is to provide a floating cover of the above character adapted to automatically conform itself to the inner peripheral surface of the tank as distortions or irregularities may occur in the rise and fall of the liquid level therein.

A further object is to provide a reliable and eliicien't gas seal for oil tanks.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out in the accompanying drawings wherein is shown one of various possible embodiments of the invention;

' Figure 1 is a' vertical sectional view; showing the tank diagrammatically and the float ing cover in place.

F"gure 2 is an enlarged detail sectional view of one side of the tank, and,

Figure3 is a plan View of the tank with certain parts removed or broken away in order to show the details of construction.

Referringnow to the drawings in detail and more particularly to Figure '1, 5 indicates an oil tank of usual cylindrical construction provided with a central guide post 6 passing through a boss 7 in the center of a floating cover of general circular shape as shown in Figure This cover is composed ofa plurality of radially disposed beams with auxiliary beams 10 and connections 11 at their end as maybe necessary. These beams support a floating ring 12 as shown more clearly in Figure 2 and the entire frame work is provided with a sheathing 13 as may be desired. This ring 12 is of slightly less diameter than the internal diameter of the tank and in between the pe riphery thereof and the walls of the tank is a second floating ring 14 as shown in Figure 2 provided with an annular gasket 15 snugly fitting the interior wall of the tank. This gasket is preferably made of flexiblematerial such, for example, as asbestos composition, whereby it may easily ride over joints .in the tank plates or rivet heads as it moves up and down due to the change in liquid level. r

About the outer periphery of the ring 12 are hinged a plurality of segmental plates 16 bent atan angle 17 whereby they will swing outwardly against the outer wall of the tank 5 and ride easily over the rivet heads 18 or plate. joints as shown at the left of Figure 2. Each plate is provided with one or. more hinges 20 as may be necessary. It will be noted that the upper part of the ring 12, is provided with bumpers 21 extendin outwardly beyond the pint-lo line of the hinge thus preventing the plates 16 from swinging inwardly beyond their center of gravity or, in other words, insuring that they always swing outwardly against the wall of the tank 5.

Between each plate is a flexible diaphragm 22 of general V-shaped construction, that is, one edge is secured along one'side of one of the plates 16 while the opposite edge is secured. to the adjacent side 01 the adjacent plate 16 thereby to prevent leakage through the cracks between the plates which may be unduly large under certain vcircumstances, as, for example, when one of these plates 16 happens to rest on a vertical line of rivets. This construction it will be seen substantially' covers the entire liquid surface of the contents of the tank, the major portion being covered by the floating deck bound within the ringlSZ while the larger part of the remainingportion is covered by the floating ring 141. Any leakage which may occur between these two rings is further reducedby reason of the close engagement existing between the angle 17 of the plates 16 and the walls of the tank. It will thus be seen that the present inven* tion provides a highly reliable and efiicient floating cover for tanks well adapted to retain the volatile constituents therewithin.

It will be understood that the present disclosure is largely diagrammatic and limited primarily to the joint construction at the top of the floating cover and no provision is made so far as'this disclosureis concerned in providing for the inlet andoutlet of oil to the tank or the main cover to the tank in order to protect the contents thereof from rain or snow, these parts all being of wellknownconstruction and forming no part of the present invention. It may also be noted that it is customary to provide suitable telescopic supports on the under side of the floating cover to suspend the same at a fixed distance above the bottom of the tank as may be necessary to enable-cleaners'to enter the tank for removing sediment, etc.

1. A floating cover for tanks, comprising a central annular member covering the major portion of the liquid and adaptedto float freelyup and down as the liquid level changes, and a l'lQXlblGll'lGtZll seal connected to the central member and extendlng from ,the central annular member outwardly to the interior of the wall of the tank, the flexible, seal being held in place against the wall of the tank solely by its ownweight, and being of such shape to have the tank wall practically tangent to it at pointof contact,

and a second"independently floating annular inei'nber covering the minor portion of the liquid surface between the periphery of the central member and the wall of thetank.

2. it floating cover for tanks, .comprisinga central annular member covering the major portion of the liquid and adapted to float freely up and down as the liquid level changes, and a flexible metal seal connected to thecentral member and extending from the central annular member outwardly to the interior of the wall of the tank, the flexible seal being held inplace against the wall of the tank solely by its own weight, andbeing of such shape asto have the tank wall practically tangent to it at point of contact, the flexible seal consisting of a plu rality of hingedplates, and a second independently floating annular member covering the minor portion'of theliquid surface between the periphery of the central member and the wall of the tank.

A floating cover for oil tan is andthe like, comprising a central annular member, a guide upon which said annular member may rise and fall, a second annular member interposed between the periphery of said first member and the interior walls of the tank, said second annular member having a" flexible diaphragm extending substantially between the outer periphery of said first ring and the outer walls of the tank, and a plurality of annularly disposed plates flexibly connected to said inner annular member and covering th space between the periphery thereof and the inner Walls of the tank. 4. A floating cover for oil tanksand the like, comprising a central annular member, a guide upon which said annular member may riseand fall, a second annular member interposedbetween the periphery of said firstinember and the interior walls of the tank, said second annularmember having a flexible diaphragm extending substantially between the outer periphery of said first ring and the outer-walls of the tank, a plurality of annularly disposed plates flexibly connected to said inner-annular member and 5. A floating cover for oil tanks and the like, comprising a central annular member,

a guide upon which said annular member may rise and fall, a second annular member interposed between the periphery of said first member and the interior wallscf the tank, a plurality of annularly disposed plates flexibly connected to said inner annular member and covering the space be:

tween the periphery thereof and the inner walls of the tank, flexible members covering the j oints between said plates and'means for preventing said plates swinging inwardly beyond a predetermined distance. I

6. A floating cover for tanks, comprising a central annular member covering the major portion of the liquid surface, a second and surrounding annular member covering the minor portion thereof, this second annular member having a flexible diaphragm extending substantially between the outer periphery of said first ring and the outer Walls of the tank, and a flexiblesealextending from the inner annular member outwardly tothe interior walls of the tank, said flexible seal comprising a plurality of hinged plates, which retain their position against the interior walls of the tank by theirown weight.

7. A floating cover for oil tanks and the like, comprising a central annular member, a second annular member interposed between the periphery of said first member and the interior of the wall of'the tank, said second annnlar member having a flexiblediaphragm extending substantially between the outer periphery of said first member and the wall of the tank, and said first member having a plurality of annularly disposed hinged plates which retain their position against the inte rior wall of the tank by their own weight.

- 8. A cover for oil tanks and the like adapted to float freely up and'down as the liquid level changes, comprising a central annular member, a plurality of annularly disposed plates hinged to said inner annular member and covering the space between the periphery thereof and inner walls of the tank, and held in place by their own weight, said plates being bent to such shape that the vwall oi the tank will be tangent to the hinged plates when in their outward position so as to ride freely over'the joints and rivet heads, flexible members covering the joints between said hinged plates, and means for preventing saidplates swinging inwardly beyond a predetermined distance.

9. A floating cover for oil tanks and the like, comprising a central annularmember,

a second annular member interposed be-.

tween the periphery of said first member and interior of the wall of the tank, said llii second annular member having a flexible diaphragm extending substantially between the outer periphery of the first annular member andthe Wall of the tank, and said first member having a plurality of annularly disposed hinged plates flexibly connected together and to the first annular member and adapted to retain their position against the interior of the Wall of the tank by their own weight and means for preventing the plates swinging inwardly beyond a predetermined distance.

10. A. protective means for tanks comprising a floating central member coverin the major portion of the upper surface 0 "the material in the tank and adapted to float freely up and down as the liquid level changes, a flexible seal extending from the central member to the wall of the tank, and an independently floating member covering the minor portion of the contents of the tank.

Signed at Vashington, District of Columbia, this 31st day of December, 1924.

JOSEPH T. MAGUIR-E. 

